As people and organizations are confronted with more and more information, the ability to visually illustrate and present information becomes critical. Existing graphics applications include a computer and display or other output device to generate diagrams, charts, or illustrations that include text, lines, shapes, and other visual features.
Many of these graphics applications include helpful aids to allow the user to quickly and efficiently create structured diagrams and charts. For example, some existing applications present the user with grids and rulers to aid in the alignment and placement of objects in a diagram. These alignment tools or guides may not be modifiable, and typically operate in traditional orthogonal coordinate systems. Also, charts created using these guides disperse most, if not all, of the graphics data among the individual objects that comprise the chart.